The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ASHA teamed up in June to produce a podcast about early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI). The podcast, which was designed for the public, will be posted on the CDC Web site indefinitely, and also will be available at ASHA's Web site. ASHA members are encouraged to refer patients to this resource.
In the podcast, Pam Mason, ASHA audiologist, and June Holstrum, representing the CDC, discuss how important it is for every child who does not pass the newborn hearing screening to receive a diagnostic hearing evaluation within three months of birth. They point out that necessary early intervention services should begin as soon as possible after diagnosis, preferably before 6 months of age.
The podcast includes specific information for parents and health providers on the importance of early diagnosis and intervention services; the longer a child' hearing loss is undiagnosed and untreated, the more difficult it will be for the child to develop speech and language skills.
Listeners are advised to contact ASHA to locate a certified audiologist and for more information on the effects of hearing loss on speech and language development in infants and children. The production was originally recorded in English and has been translated into Spanish.
